It rained for several hours which is why the drainage system could not process the huge amount of water. The streets in several residential areas were also flooded. The residents were shocked to see the water level rise in their street and driveway. Drivers drove at an extremely slow pace to minimize the damage to their car. Pedestrians had no other choice but to walk in the water to reach their destination. At several locations people could not longer see where the road ended and the gutter began. Residents complained that it started raining at night and that it kept raining cats and dogs all night long. “It seemed like it was never going to stop raining,” said a resident from the northern part of Paramaribo. Streets that usually remained dry were also flooded. At several locations the water also entered the private residences. Many people were caught off guard and had to work fast to bring their possessions to safety to keep them from being damaged by the water. Other people had placed sandbags around their homes to keep the water out. In some cases the sandbags provided protection but in other cases they did not as the water level kept rising and the water eventually flowed over the sandbags.